Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 18:21
18:21. Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstoneand threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylonshall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
The great city Babylon is the same as the millstone.
Matthew 18:6
18:6. "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstonewere hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
'causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin' means stumbling.
Here, the millstone is the same as stumbling-block.
So, the sin of Babylon or the one of eating-drinking and marrying-giving in marriage is the same as the stumbling-block as follows:
The consequences are as follows:
Be careful! The stumbling-sin happens from the marriage.
At Christmas, Herod--a man with Satan's characteristic--became a stumbling-block to Jesus' birth, namely he wanted to kill Him. It means hindering the salvation and perfection.
At the church of the first rain, Herod became a stumbling-block for the prophets and apostles by putting them into the jail and killing them.
It is the same as hindering the news of salvation and perfection.
At the church of the last rain and approaching the second coming of Jesus, Herod--a man with Satan's characteristic--keeps becoming a stumbling-block by hindering the salvation and perfection of the sinners, so men are left when Jesus comes a second time and destroyed forever.
One who stumbles is the same as Satan. Be careful!
Having Satan's characteristics means as follows:
We must stop sinning. It starts from lie, envy, dispute, and hatred without a cause.
Now we learn one more characteristic of Herod, namely arrogance.
Acts 12:21-22
12:21. So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.
12:22. And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!"
Acts 12:23
12:23. Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
Herod was arrogant, so he was struck by an angel.
Arrogance means that one equates himself with God.
It means that he does not need God.
On the last days, we are often negligent with the arrogance.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-5
5:1. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
5:2. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
5:3. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
5:4. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
5:5. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
Approaching the second coming of Jesus, we face the darkness in all things. But many people say: 'Peace and safety!' They feel that they are blessed. But the important thing is that we may not be arrogant until we do not need God anymore.
Consequently, one is negligent. He does not watch, so he walks in the darkness and stumbles in the sins up to the peak. The time of Jesus' second coming will be like a thief for him, so he is left. He will experience the darkest darkness in the world when the Antichrist reigns over the world until the outer darkness in the hell. It is the consequence of the arrogance because one just depends on the physical thing.
There are many stumbling-blocks in the darkness of the world! Be careful!
That is why we must keep watching whatever condition we have, and living in the light. We keep being in the new way, namely the one without Herod, so we are ready to wait and greet Jesus when He comes a second time on the glorious clouds. We enter the One-Thousand-Year Kingdom of Peace (the upcoming Paradise). Do not stumble and become the stumbling-block!
If we walk in the light and in the new way, we will not stumble until we enter the New Jerusalem forever.
The facts of arrogance are as follows:
God blesses us.
Revelation 18:21
18:21. Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstoneand threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylonshall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
The great city Babylon is the same as the millstone.
Matthew 18:6
18:6. "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstonewere hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
'causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin' means stumbling.
Here, the millstone is the same as stumbling-block.
So, the sin of Babylon or the one of eating-drinking and marrying-giving in marriage is the same as the stumbling-block as follows:
- Becoming a stumbling-block for others, so they sin because of our words, deed, and company.
- Easily stumbling because of others, so he sins because of others' deed.
The consequences are as follows:
- The youths fall into sins up to the peak.
Isaiah 40:30
40:30. Even the youths shall faintand be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
The youth refers to those who are strong physically and spiritually.
For example, King David fell into sin with Bathsheba. In the New Testament, Judas Iscariot fell because of money although he was an apostle and treasurer.
That is why we may not become arrogant when we are given strength, because we can fall. - Stumbling in calling and election.
2 Peter 1:10-11
1:10. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
1:11. for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It means as follows:- Not feeling comfort in the ministry to God because of something related to others and oneself.
- Not being faithful in the ministry.
- Leaving the ministry to God.
- Not feeling comfort in the ministry to God because of something related to others and oneself.
- A millstone is hung around his neck, and he is drowned in the depth of the sea.
Matthew 18:6
18:6. "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
It means as follows:- Laboring, suffering, and being heavy laden, in sorrow, and tears.
- His life is not beautiful.
- One cannot worship God. The neck is the closest relationship between the Head and the body. Being unable to worship means experiencing the spiritual death, namely one just commits and enjoys sins up to the peak.
Be careful! Do not enjoy in untruth!
If it continues, one will enter the second death, namely he is drowned into the lake of fire and brimstone up to perdition forever.
- Laboring, suffering, and being heavy laden, in sorrow, and tears.
Be careful! The stumbling-sin happens from the marriage.
At Christmas, Herod--a man with Satan's characteristic--became a stumbling-block to Jesus' birth, namely he wanted to kill Him. It means hindering the salvation and perfection.
At the church of the first rain, Herod became a stumbling-block for the prophets and apostles by putting them into the jail and killing them.
It is the same as hindering the news of salvation and perfection.
At the church of the last rain and approaching the second coming of Jesus, Herod--a man with Satan's characteristic--keeps becoming a stumbling-block by hindering the salvation and perfection of the sinners, so men are left when Jesus comes a second time and destroyed forever.
One who stumbles is the same as Satan. Be careful!
Having Satan's characteristics means as follows:
- Lying. Herod said: "I may come and worship Him also", but actually he wanted to kill Him.
- Envy. Herod was shocked when Jesus as the other king was about to be born.
Consequently, there are groups and dispute that is especially caused by the difference of teaching. The false teaching is the one that is full of envy up to hatred. - Killing or hatred without a cause up to putting to death all the male children from two years old and under. Herod killed the babies, so he could kill Jesus.
We must stop sinning. It starts from lie, envy, dispute, and hatred without a cause.
Now we learn one more characteristic of Herod, namely arrogance.
Acts 12:21-22
12:21. So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.
12:22. And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!"
Acts 12:23
12:23. Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
Herod was arrogant, so he was struck by an angel.
Arrogance means that one equates himself with God.
It means that he does not need God.
On the last days, we are often negligent with the arrogance.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-5
5:1. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
5:2. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
5:3. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
5:4. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
5:5. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
Approaching the second coming of Jesus, we face the darkness in all things. But many people say: 'Peace and safety!' They feel that they are blessed. But the important thing is that we may not be arrogant until we do not need God anymore.
Consequently, one is negligent. He does not watch, so he walks in the darkness and stumbles in the sins up to the peak. The time of Jesus' second coming will be like a thief for him, so he is left. He will experience the darkest darkness in the world when the Antichrist reigns over the world until the outer darkness in the hell. It is the consequence of the arrogance because one just depends on the physical thing.
There are many stumbling-blocks in the darkness of the world! Be careful!
That is why we must keep watching whatever condition we have, and living in the light. We keep being in the new way, namely the one without Herod, so we are ready to wait and greet Jesus when He comes a second time on the glorious clouds. We enter the One-Thousand-Year Kingdom of Peace (the upcoming Paradise). Do not stumble and become the stumbling-block!
If we walk in the light and in the new way, we will not stumble until we enter the New Jerusalem forever.
The facts of arrogance are as follows:
- Seizing and killing the servant of God.
Acts 12:1-3
12:1. Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.
12:2. Then he killed Jamesthe brother of John with the sword.
12:3. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
James and John the Baptist were killed. Peter and John were seized.
Herod was angry because John the Baptist had said to him: "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." If a husband is wrong, the wife and children will also be wrong. The rod is in the hand of a husband regardless of anything that happens, but he may not be arbitrary.
Now, it means that one is not faithful up to leaving the ministry. It is the arrogance that is the same as killing the apostle and prophet.
For those who are no longer serving, let them return to ministry. God will be with us.
Ephesians 4:8-12
4:8. Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men."
4:9. (Now this, "He ascended" --what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
4:10. He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
4:11. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12. for the equipping of the saintsfor the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
'descended into the lower parts of the earth' means that Jesus must become obedient to the point of death on the cross to do the things as follows:- Verse 8, namely He leads captivity of sin captive, so we live in righteousness and holiness.
Do not keep sinning! - Verse 11-12, namely He gives the ministry to us, so we are used in the ministry of the building of the perfect body of Christ, starting from marriage, shepherding, and inter-shepherding until the Israelites and Gentiles become one perfect body of Christ.
Let us minister in righteousness and holiness, starting from marriage as husband, wife, and children.
The base of the ministry is Christ's sacrifice on the cross. It is God's mercy for the Gentiles. As long as we can appreciate Christ's sacrifice on the cross, we will never leave our ministry. We keep ministering to God faithfully and fervently until the finish line.
Look at Christ's sacrifice on the cross when we cannot stand anymore! It is our strength. He has died on the cross but He still remembers the Gentiles.
The ministry is our place in the body of Christ. Leaving the ministry means having no place in the body of Christ, so one will surely be used in the building of Babylon, namely the false church or Satan's bride who is perfect in evil and uncleanness.
Acts 1:17-18
1:17. "for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry."
1:18. (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.
Judas Iscariot leaves the ministry because of the things as follows:- Ministering God with the will of money, without the anointing of Holy Spirit.
Judas was controlled by the will of money. If the will has been reached, one will stop ministering. - Being pulled by the world--Judas fell headlong.
The influence of the world is business, joy and distress, and company either in the world or church. We must be careful. - Keeping sinning until he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.
Someday, the sins that are not confessed will be opened by God, and there is no more chance to repent.
22:15. Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: "Go, proceed to this steward, To Shebna, who is over the house, and say:
22:16. 'What have you here, and whom have you here, That you have hewn a sepulcher here, As he who hews himself a sepulcher on high, Who carves a tomb for himselfin a rock?
22:17. Indeed, the LORD will throw you away violently, O mighty man, And will surely seize you.
Ministering God is the same as ministering the house of heaven (verse 15).
God gives us the ministry. He does not mean to persecute us but making us experience the atmosphere of the heavenly kingdom even though we are still in the world until we really enter the heavenly kingdom.
Leaving the ministry means foolishness, namely one leaves heaven to carve a tomb for himself.
Carving a tomb means the atmosphere of the curse, namely weariness, labor, and tears up to perdition in the hell forever. - Verse 8, namely He leads captivity of sin captive, so we live in righteousness and holiness.
- The servant of God who does not have faith, hope, and love.
Acts 12:1-3
12:1. Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.
12:2. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
12:3. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
James refers to the faith, Peter is hope, and John is love.
Killing and seizing James, Peter, and John means having no faith, hope, and love.
Where do we receive and increase our faith, hope, and love up to perfection? In the sheepfold, namely the perseverance in committing the three kinds of main service to God as follows:- The Golden Candlestick refers to the perseverance in committing the General Service. We have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His anointing and gifts.
If we persevere, the anointing of Holy Spirit will increase, so we become more faithful and fervent in the ministry to God.
The gift also increases up to perfection, namely a garland of twelve stars or we have the light of the star. - The Table of Showbread refers to the perseverance in committing the Bible Study Service with Holy Communion. We have fellowship with the Son of God in the teaching Word and the sacrifice of Christ.
It is the guidance of the hand of God.
If we hear the true teaching Word and consume Holy Communion, the Word will be ingrained in our life, so it becomes the stable faith.
If we persevere, it will increase up to the perfect faith or we cannot sin anymore like Jesus.
It will become the moon under feet, namely the perfect redemption. We have the light of the moon. - The Golden Altar of Incense refers to the perseverance in committing the Prayer Service. We have fellowship with Father God in His love.
Every time we worship God, we receive His love.
If we persevere, it will become the perfect love, namely the clothes of the sun.
The results of being shepherded well and correctly--having the perfect faith, hope, and love--are as follows:- We appear as the light of the world.
Revelation 12:1
12:1. Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moonunder her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
The fact found in it is becoming God's witness, starting from household, shepherding, and inter-shepherding until we become the light of the world. - We receive the two wings of a great eagle to evacuate us to the wilderness, far from the darkest darkness in the world.
Revelation 12:14
12:14. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
We experience God's hug that is being able to go through the darkness of the world. We are protected and taken care of by God until the Antichrist reigns over the world.
Let us pay attention to and appreciate the ministry earnestly. Then, we are shepherded well and correctly, so we grow in faith, hope, and love. It is the one that can protect and take care of us in the midst of the darkness of the world until the Antichrist reigns over the world.
- The Golden Candlestick refers to the perseverance in committing the General Service. We have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His anointing and gifts.
- Willingness to become the same as Jesus with his own way.
Acts 12:21-23
12:21. So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.
12:22. And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!"
12:23. Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
In the past time, Eve wanted to become the same as God with her own way.
Herod equated himself with God, so he was eaten by worms. It means being humiliated as low as possible up to perdition in the hell where the worms do not die to persecute those who are arrogant.
Isaiah 66:24
66:24. "And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."
Isaiah 14:11
14:11. Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you.'
We must become the same as God but through the new way, namely we are struck by an angel now. The angel refers to the shepherd. It means the purification and renewal of life by the shepherding Word.
First, the cheek is struck.
The cheek refers to the skin, namely the feeling.
The feeling is struck, so we do not become arrogant but humble ourselves. We confess that we are just worms.
Isaiah 41:8,10,13-14
41:8. "But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.
41:10. Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
41:13. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'
41:14. "Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
We humble ourselves and confess that we are like worms. We confess that we are worthless and have no hope. We are nobody, and we have too many sins. We just worship God. We ask for His mercy in the midst of us.
When we are lowly in heart, God is near to us.
Psalm 34:18
34:18. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Enoch walked with God because he worshipped God a lot.
Genesis 5:24
5:24. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
The purpose of worshipping God and confessing our weaknesses and infirmities is that we experience the power of lifting of God up to the glorious clouds.
We pray, let 2023 become THE YEAR OF THE GLORY AND GOD'S LIFTING FOR US. Those who are in the bottom can be lifted up by God. Those who are above must be careful and keep confessing that they are just worms.
The results are as follows:- The doubtful is lifted up to become strong and of good courage.
Matthew 14:24-25,29-30
14:24. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
14:25. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
14:29. So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
14:30. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
Do not doubt! Let us come to God to face the drowning and falling into sin, et cetera.
Let us cry to God. One who falls into sin can live in righteousness and holiness. The decadence is restored and lifted up by God. - Disobedience is surrendered to become obedience and hoping God.
John 5:6-8
5:6. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"
5:7. The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
5:8. Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."
We will experience the power of healing physically and spiritually.
We become faithful and fervent until the finish line. - Confessing the heart which is decayed to God and others.
John 11:38-40
11:38. Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
11:39. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."
11:40. Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
We confess all of our sins, and God will make the decay produce fragrance. Failure is changed into success and beauty.
It continues until Jesus comes a second time that we are changed to become as perfect as He is, so we are worthy to greet His second coming on the glorious clouds. We enter the One-Thousand-Year Kingdom of Peace (the upcoming Paradise) and the New Jerusalem forever.
- The doubtful is lifted up to become strong and of good courage.
God blesses us.